Researchers
A
Abrahams, Peter - University of Toronto. RESEARCH TITLE: Community Ecology, Evolutionary Ecology and Theory
Abrams, Peter , J. P. 1993
Desportes Review of Assessments and Decisions: A Study of Information Gathering by Hermit Crabs, by R. W.
Review of Assessments and Decisions: A Study of Information Gathering by Hermit Crabs, by R. W. Elwood & S. J. Neil; Statistical Analysis of Behavioural Data. An Approach Based on Time-structured Models, by Patsy Haccou & Evert Meelis and The Pied Flycatcher, by Arne Lundberg & Rauno V. Alatalo Animal Behaviour Vol. 46, No. 3, September 1993
http://www.idealibrary.com/links/doi/10.1006/anbe.1993.1235
B
Barnes, D. K.
Barnes DK.
Resource availability: Ancient homes for hard-up hermit crabs.
Mollusc shells are a vital but sometimes scarce resource for hermit crabs, protecting them from mechanical damage and desiccation, but they require continual replacement as the crab grows. I have discovered that Coenobita rugosus, a large, tropical, semi-terrestrial hermit crab, will resort to using fossil shells when no other suitable casing is available. These unlikely mobile homes fall out of coastal limestone as it is eroded by the sea in southwestern Madagascar, placing the occupants alongside Homo sapiens as resourceful exploiters of prehistoric animal remains.Department of Zoology, University College Cork, Lee Maltings, Cork, Ireland Nature 2001 Aug 23;412(6849):785-6
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11518955&dopt=Abstract
Briffa Mark, Elwood Robert W. -
Analysis of the finescale timing of repeated signals:
does shell rapping in hermit crabs signal stamina?
Hermit crabs, Pagurus bernhardus, sometimes exchange shells after a period of shell rapping, when the initiating or attacking crab brings its shell rapidly and repeatedly into contact with the shell of the noninitiator or defender in a series of bouts. Bouts are separated by pauses, and raps within bouts are separated by very short periods called `gaps'. Since within-contest variation is missed when signals are studied by averaging performance rates over entire contests, we analysed the fine within-bout structure of this repeated, aggressive signal. We found that the pattern is consistent with high levels of fatigue in initiators. The duration of the gaps between individual raps increased both within bouts and from bout to bout, and we conclude that this activity is costly to perform. Furthermore, long pauses between bouts is correlated with increased vigour of rapping in the subsequent bout, which suggests that the pause allows for recovery from fatigue induced by rapping. These between-bout pauses may be assessed by noninitiators and provide a signal of stamina. Copyright 2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
http://www.idealibrary.com/links/doi/10.1006/anbe.1999.1273
Briffa M, Elwood RW. Related ArticlesCumulative or sequential assessment during hermit crab shell fights: effects of oxygen on decision rules
Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2000 Dec 7;267(1460):2445-52.
PMID: 11133036 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]School of Biology and Biochemistry, The Queen's University of Belfast, UK. m.briffa@qub.ac.uk
Agonistic interactions between animals are often settled by the use of repeated signals which advertise the resource-holding potential of the sender. According to the sequential assessment game this repetition increases the accuracy with which receivers may assess the signal, but under the cumulative assessment model the repeated performances accumulate to give a signal of stamina. These models may be distinguished by the temporal pattern of signalling they predict and by the decision rules used by the contestants. Hermit crabs engage in shell fights over possession of the gastropod shells that they inhabit. During these interactions the two roles of signaller and receiver may be examined separately because they are fixed for the duration of the encounter. Attackers rap their shell against that of the defender in a series of bouts whereas defenders remain tightly withdrawn into their shells for the duration of the contest. At the end of a fight the attacker may evict the defender from its shell or decide to give up without first effecting an eviction; the decision for defenders is either to maintain a grip on its shell or to release the shell and allow itself to be evicted. We manipulated fatigue levels separately for attackers and defenders, by varying the oxygen concentration of the water that they are held in prior to fighting, and examined the effects that this has on the likelihood of each decision and on the temporal pattern of rapping. We show that the vigour of rapping and the likelihood of eviction are reduced when the attacker is subjected to low oxygen but that this treatment has no effect on rates of eviction when applied to defenders. We conclude that defenders compare the vigour of rapping with an absolute threshold rather than with a relative threshold when making their decision. The data are compatible with the cumulative assessment model and with the idea that shell rapping signals the stamina of attackers, but do not fit the predictions of the sequential assessment game.
PMID: 11133036 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11133036&dopt=Abstract
Brodie, Renae J.
I study the ontogeny of adaptive changes that accompany the evolutionary shift from water to air, using terrestrial crabs as a model system. Land crabs are highly amenable to comparative investigations because several lineages have invaded land independently and show varying degrees of terrestrial adaptation in their life histories and ecology. Most begin development in the sea, moving onto land during the last of a number of larval stages, while a few undergo abbreviated development in freshwater or direct development on land, hatching out as small terrestrial crabs. Ecologically, land crabs occupy every position on the sea-to-land gradient; some venture into air only during low tides while others inhabit forest canopies and deserts, visiting the sea only to spawn if at all. Traditionally, these differences have been studied from the perspective of the adult, with the focus almost exclusively on differences in adult behavior, morphology, and physiology that facilitate survival along the sea-to-land gradient. I examine the development of young crabs to understand when and how these differences arise.
http://www.biol.sc.edu/faculty/brodie.html
Renae Brodie, Alan W. Harvey, pages 715–732.
LARVAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE LAND HERMIT CRAB COENOBITA COMPRESSUS H. MILNE EDWARDS REARED IN THE LABORATORY.Movements of the terrestrial hermit crab, Coenobita clypeatus (Crustacea: Coenobitidae)
http://www.rbt.ucr.ac.cr/revistas/suplemen/honduras/16brod1.htm
Burggren, W.W., McMahon, B.R. (1981) Haemolymph oxygen transport, acid-base status and hydromineral regulation during dehydration in three terrestrial crabs, Cardisoma, Birgus and Coenobita. J. Exp. Zool. 218:1–5
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Cameron, J.N. (1981) Acid-base responses to changes in CO2 in two Pacific crabs: Birgus latro, and the mangrove crab Cardisoma carnifex. J. Exp. Zool. 218:65–73
Cunningham, C.W.
Cunningham CW, Blackstone NW, Buss LW.
Evolution of king crabs from hermit crab ancestors.
King crabs (Family Lithodidae) are among the world's largest arthropods, having a crab-like morphology and a strongly calcified exoskeleton. The hermit crabs, by contrast, have depended on gastropod shells for protection for over 150 million years. Shell-living has constrained the morphological evolution of hermit crabs by requiring a decalcified asymmetrical abdomen capable of coiling into gastropod shells and by preventing crabs from growing past the size of the largest available shells. Whereas reduction in shell-living and acquisition of a crab-like morphology (carcinization) has taken place independently in several hermit crab lineages, and most dramatically in king crabs, the rate at which this process has occurred was entirely unknown. We present molecular evidence that king crabs are not only descended from hermit crabs, but are nested within the hermit crab genus Pagurus. We estimate that loss of the shell-living habit and the complete carcinization of king crabs has taken between 13 and 25 million years.Nature 1992 Feb 6;355(6360):539-42
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1741031&dopt=Abstract
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Gherardi, F. http://www.unifi.it/unifi/dbag/schede/Gherardi.html
GHERARDI F., 1990. Competition and coexistence in two Mediterranean hermit crabs, Calcinus ornatus (Roux) and Clibanarius erythropus (Latreille) (Decapoda, Anomura). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 143: 221-238.
GHERARDI F. & M. VANNINI, 1993. Hermit crabs in a mangrove swamp: proximate and ultimate factors in the clustering of Clibanarius laevimanus. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 168: 167-187.
GHERARDI F. & P.M. CASSIDY, 1994. Sabellarian tubes as the housing of the hermit crab Discorsopagurus schmitti. Canadian Journal of Zoology 72: 526-532.
GHERARDI F., ZATTERI F. & M. VANNINI, 1994. Hermit crabs in a mangrove swamp: the structure of Clibanarius laevimanus clustering. Marine Biology 121: 41-52.
GHERARDI F., 1994. Multiple feeding techniques in the sessile hermit crab, Discorsopagurus schmitti, inhabiting polychaete tubes. Oecologia 98: 139-146.
GHERARDI F. & P.M. CASSIDY, 1995. Life history patterns of Discorsopagurus schmitti, a hermit crab inhabiting polychaete tubes. Biological Bulletin 188: 68-77.
GHERARDI F. & P. A. McLAUGHLIN, 1995. Larval and early juvenile development of the tube-dwelling hermit crab Discorsopagurus schmitti (Stevens) (Decapoda: Anomura: Paguridae) reared in the laboratory. Journal of Crustacean Biology 15: 258-279.
GHERARDI F., 1996. Non-conventional hermit crabs: pros and cons of sessile, tube-dwelling life in Discorsopagurus schmitti (Stevens). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 202: 119-136.
BENVENUTO C. & F. GHERARDI, 2001. Population structure and shell use in the hermit crab, Clibanarius erythropus: a comparison between Mediterranean and Atlantic shores. Journal of Marine Biological Association 81: 77-84.
Gilchrist, Sara
http://www.sar.usf.edu/~gilchris/curricul.htm
http://www.sar.usf.edu/~gilchris/summary.htm
http://home.t-online.de/home/r.diesel/mpe.pdf
http://www.ncf.edu/Catalog/Documents/natural_sciences.htm
Greenway, Peter
My research interests are primarily centred around the physiology of crustaceans and cover a wide range of topics including respiratory physiology and anatomy, osmotic and ionic regulation, nitrogenous excretion, digestive physiology and calcium metabolism during moulting. Many of these topics are directed toward understanding the evolutionary changes in morphology, physiology and behaviour which have enabled colonisation of land from aquatic habitats. This involves field studies and experiments (in the arid zone and on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean) and physiological, biochemical, anatomical and ultrastructural studies in the laboratory. My group has worked on crayfish, mudcrabs, shore crabs, terrestrial crabs and isopods in recent times. Studies in progress include work on the nature and control of ion transport mechanisms in the gills of freshwater and terrestrial crabs, endogenous cellulases and cellulolytic capabilities of herbivorous land crabs and the ability of these animals to cope with tannins in their leaf diets.
http://www.bioscience.unsw.edu.au//greenawa.htm
Dillaman, R.M., Greenaway, P. & Linton, S.M. (1999). Role of the midgut gland in purine excretion in the Robber Crab, Birgus latro (Anomura: Coenobitidae). J. Morph., 241:227-235
Greenaway, P. (2001). Sodium and Water Balance in free ranging Robber Crabs, Birgus latro (Anomura:Coenobitidae). J. Crust. Biol.,21:317-327.
Greenaway, P. (2002). Terrestrial adaptations in the Anomura (Crustacea: Decapoda). Mem. Mus Vic., In Press.
Morris, S., Greenaway, P., Adamczewska, A.M. & Ahern, M.D. (2000). Adaptations to a terrestrial existence in the Robber Crab Birgus latro L. IX. Hormonal control of post-renal urine reprocessing and salt balance in the branchial chamber. J. exp. Biol., 203, 389-396.
Dillaman, R.M., Greenaway, P. & Linton, S.M. (1999). Role of the midgut gland in purine excretion in the Robber Crab, Birgus latro (Anomura: Coenobitidae). J. Morph., 241:227-235.
H
Haug1, Tor. Anita K. Kjuul1, Klara Stensvåg1, Erling Sandsdalen2, Olaf B. Styrvold1 .
Antibacterial activity in four marine crustacean decapods
A search for antibacterial activity in different body-parts of Pandalus borealis (northern shrimp), Pagurus bernhardus (hermit crab), Hyas araneus (spider crab) and Paralithodes camtschatica (king crab) was conducted. Dried samples were extracted with 60% (v/v) acetonitrile, containing 0·1% (v/v) trifluoroacetic acid, and further extracted and concentrated on C18cartridges. Eluates from the solid phase extraction were tested for antibacterial, lysozyme and haemolytic activity. Antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Vibrio anguillarum, Corynebacterium glutamicum and Staphylococcus aureus was detected in extracts from several tissues in all species tested, but mainly in the haemolymph and haemocyte extracts. V. anguillarum and C. glutamicum were generally the most sensitive micro-organisms. In P. borealis and P. bernhardus most of the active fractions were not affected by proteinase K treatment, while in H. araneus and P. camtschatica most fractions were sensitive to proteinase K treatment, indicating antibacterial factors of proteinaceous nature. In P. bernhardus the active fractions were generally heat labile, whereas in H. araneus the activities were resistant to heat. Differences between active extracts regarding hydrophobicity and sensitivity for heat and proteinase K treatment indicate that several compounds are responsible for the antibacterial activities detected. Lysozyme-like activity could be detected in some fractions and haemolytic activity against human red blood cells could be detected in haemolymph/haemocyte and exoskeleton extracts from all species tested. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. Fish & Shellfish Immunologypp. 1-15 (doi:10.1006/fsim.2001.0378) Institute of Marine Biotechnology, The Norwegian College of Fishery Science, University of Tromsø, Breivika, N-9037, Tromsø, Norway
http://www.idealibrary.com/links/doi/10.1006/fsim.2001.0378
Harvey, A.
Harvey, A. Evolution of adaptive plasticity; Phylogenetic systematics and biogeography of hermit crabs and related crustaceans; Diversity of crustacean larvae; Evolution of larval settlement and metamorphic strategies in decapod crustaceans; Biological invasions of insular and continental ecosystems;Theory of phylogenetic systematics.
http://www.bio.gasou.edu/bio-home/harvey/research.html
Brodie, R. & A. W. Harvey. 2001. Larval development of the land hermit crabCoenobita compressus H. Milne Edwards reared in the laboratory. Journal of Crustacean Biology 21(3): 715-732.
Hendrickx, M. & A. W. Harvey. 1999. Checklist of anomuran crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura) from the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Belgian Journal of Zoology 129 (2): 327-352.
Hazlette. B.
Hazlett, Brian
Animal Behavior
Phone: 734-764-1462
E-mail: bhazlett@umich.edu
Dr. Hazlett's main interests are in the behavioral ecology of crustacea. He has worked on the quantitative analyses of visual communication as well as tactile communication used by hermit crabs during shell exchange. His field work investigates the roles of resource distribution in determining patterns of daily movement, social structure, and the balance of competition and mutualism. The roles of past experience in the development of behavior is also a subject of interest. Another area of current interest is the role of resource quality in crustacean reproductive behavior and the integration of multiple inputs.Dr. Hazlett received his Ph.D. degree from Harvard University in 1964. He has held adjunct academic appointments at College of the Virgin Islands and Florida State University. He serves as Associate Editor of Journal of Crustacean Biology and Journal of Marine Behaviour and Physiology.
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Abstracts of Research Articles by Dr. Hazlett
Hazlett B.A.1966. Bossert Additional observations on the communications systems of hermit crabs.
Additional observations on the communications systems of hermit crabs.Hazlett BA, Bossert WH.Anim Behav 1966 Oct;14(4):546-9
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=6008474&dopt=Abstract
Hazlett B.A.*, DAN RITTSCHOF, CATHERINE E. BACH . 1996
Interspecific shell transfer by mutual predation site attendanceThe hermit crabs Clibanarius vittatus and Pagurus pollicaris overlap considerably in the species of gastropod shells occupied. Patterns of epibionts on shells suggested interspecific transfer between the crab species. In laboratory observations, however, even when crabs were highly motivated to get new shells, no direct transfers occurred. This lack of exchanges is correlated with different shell exchange behaviour patterns of the two crab species. When simulated snail predation sites were set up in the laboratory and in the field, indirect interspecific transfers were observed as crabs moved from occupied shells to recently vacated shells. Animal Behaviour. Vol. 51, No. 3, March 1996
http://www.idealibrary.com/links/doi/10.1006/anbe.1996.0062
Hazlett B.A.. 1996. Assessments during shell exchanges by the hermit crab Clibanarius vittatus:
the complete negotiator
The behaviour of the hermit crab Clibanarius vittatus was studied as it investigated shells prior to and during shell exchange interactions. Crabs behaved in a manner predicted by the negotiations model of resource exchange, that is, shells were primarily exchanged between crabs when both crabs benefited in shell fit from the exchange. During initial investigation of shells, crabs in poorly fitting shells selected shells that (1) were similar to the preferred shell size of the investigating crab and (2) that did not fit their current occupant well. In addition, the greater the shell deficit (deviation from that crab's preferred shell size) of the other crab, the more likely it was investigated by a crab in a poorly fitting shell. Considering three factors (initiator's preferred shell size, current shell deficit of the non-initiator and magnitude of gain possible for the non-initiator) explained 86% (multiple r=0.93) of the variance in shells rapped by initiating crabs. In those interactions that proceeded to rapping behaviour, the magnitude of gain in shell fit that the non-initiating crab would experience if a shell exchange occurred helped explain which shells were selected for rapping. The relative size of the two crabs was only important in the assessment and decisions process once rapping began, and the number of raps was inversely proportional to the relative size difference of the crabs.Department of Biology, University of Michigan Animal Behaviour
http://www.idealibrary.com/links/doi/10.1006/anbe.1996.0060
Hazlett, B.A. 1989. Mating success of male hermit crabs in shell generalist and shell specialist species. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol., 25:119-128.
Hazlett, B.A. 1988. Behavioral plasticity as an adaptation to a variable environment. In: "Behavioral Adaptation to Intertidal Life", (Chelazzi and Vanni, Eds.). Plenum, pp. 317-332.
Hazlett, B.A. 1987. Hermit crab shell exchange as a model system. Bull. Mar. Sci., 41:99-107.
Hazlett BA. 1966. Temporary alteration of the behavioral repertoire of a hermit crab.
Nature 1966 Jun 11;210(41):1169-70
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=5964183&dopt=Abstract
Hazlett BA, Bossert WH. 1985. A statistical analysis of the aggressive communications systems of some hermit crabs.
Anim Behav 1965 Apr-Jul;13(2):357-73
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=5891062&dopt=Abstract
Hinsch GW.
Spermiogenesis in a hermit-crab, Coenobita clypeatus. II. Sertoli cells.
The testes of the land hermit crab, Coenobita clypeatus, contains germinal cells and non-germinative cells. The latter function in the manner of the vertebrate Sertoli cells in apparently providing nourishment, support and possibly hormones during spermiogenesis. Each Sertoli cell surrounds several germinal cells. The mitochondria, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus show changes in structure when in contact with germinal cells in different stages of spermiogenesis. These changes are suggestive of active synthesis and metabolism of cellular products(s). Tissue Cell 1980;12(2):255-62
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7414597&dopt=Abstract
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Imafuku, Michio; Ando, Takimichi.
Behaviour and Morphology of Pagurid Hermit Crabs (Decapoda, Anomura) That Live in Tusk Shells (Mollusca, Scaphopoda)
Author(s): Michio Imafuku; Takamichi Ando
Source: Crustaceana (Brill Academic Publishers)
Year: 1999 Volume: 72 Number: 2 Pages: 129-144 View
Isabelle M. CÔTÉ, BÉNÉDICTE REVERDY, PAUL K. COOKE -
Less choosy or different preference? Impact of hypoxia on hermit crab shell assessment and selection
Hermit crabs that rely on gastropod shells for protection have to assess a number of shell features, each of which can bring different, and sometimes conflicting, advantages to their bearer. We examined how environmentally induced stress, in the form of hypoxia, can alter the relative benefits of different shell features and result in the selection of different shells by the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus. Hermit crabs under hypoxic conditions spent significantly less time investigating shells before entering them. Despite this apparently superficial assessment, they chose shells that were well suited to hypoxic conditions. After 24h, they were found in shells that were significantly lighter than those chosen by hermit crabs under normal oxygen. This shift in preference was achieved at the expense of the internal spaciousness of the shell, which may have deleterious implications for predation and reproduction. This cost was more evident for larger hermit crabs since there was no relationship between hermit crab size and shell characteristics for hermit crabs in hypoxia. Under oxygen stress, hermit crabs therefore alter their shell preference in favour of lighter, and thus smaller, shells, probably reflecting a greater concern for energy minimization than protection from predation or reproduction. Copyright 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
http://www.idealibrary.com/links/doi/10.1006/anbe.1998.0828
J
JASON D. WILLIAMS
first record of host hermit crab egg predation by a commensal polydorid worm
A new species of Polydora (Polychaeta: Spionidae) from the Indo-West Pacific and first record of host hermit crab egg predation - A new spionid polychaete, Polydora robi, is described from intertidal and shallow subtidal areas in the Philippine Islands and Bali, Indonesia. Polydora robi belongs to the Polydora ciliata/websteri species group and is characterized by a rounded prostomium, triangular occipital tentacle, needlelike posterior notosetae, and a pygidium with digitiform composite cirri surrounding the anus. Adults burrow into empty gastropod shells inhabited by hermit crabs. The burrows of the worms typically extend from an external opening in the apex of the shells to an opening in the central body whorls along the columella. The species was found to ingest the fertilized eggs and developing embryos attached to the pleopods of host hermit crabs. The occurrence of egg predation and the symbiotic relationship between polydorids and hermit crabs is discussed. Known egg predators of hermit crabs are reviewed. Copyright 2000 The Linnean Society of London Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society Vol. 129, No. 4, August 1, 2000
http://www.idealibrary.com/links/doi/10.1006/zjls.2000.0245
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Khan, S.A.; Thomas, M. and Natarajan, R. (1980). Principal component analysis in shell selection behaviour of the land hermit crab Coenobita cavipes, Stimpson. Indian. J. Mar. Sci., vol.9, no.4, pp.293-294.
Kellogg CW.Coexistence in a hermit crab species ensemble.
Biol Bull 1977 Aug;153(1):133-44
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=889942&dopt=Abstract
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Mesce, Karen. A.
The shell selection behaviour of two closely related hermit crabs
Abstract. Shell selection behaviour in response to shell features or stimuli that might contribute to shell detection, investigation and ultimately shell choice were examined in two inter-tidal hermit crabs, Pagurus samuelis and P. hirsutiusculus. Each species displayed a different preference for either Tegula funebralis shells (P. samuelis) or Nucella canaliculata shells (P. hirsutiusculus), shells that differ greatly in their external appearance and internal configuration. Visual and chemical shell stimuli were found to have a different effect on each of the two closely related species. Pagurus samuelis relied on visual cues for shell detection. It also displayed visually-mediated tracking of objects resembling T. funebralis shells in colour, shape and size. Pagurus hirsutiusculus did not display tracking behaviour. Both species responded to the chemical composition of shells, specifically their calcium content. Various coatings were applied to the shell surfaces to remove (cover) the calcium cue. For P. hirsutiusculus only, shell exploratory behaviour was not initiated if this one stimulus was absent. Both species were found to rely on the chemical cues alone to locate and uncover partially buried shells. Each species apparently relies on shell cues that are distinguishing features of their preferred shells. Thus, underlying differences in sensory and other neural mechanisms enable each species to detect quickly and respond to its preferred shell type. The stimulus value of the aperture and possible importance of the shell's internal configuration, for shell selection, were also examined. Lastly, the role of learning in shell selection is discussed. Copyright 1993, 1999 Academic Press Animal Behaviour Vol. 45, No. 4, April 1993
http://www.idealibrary.com/links/doi/10.1006/anbe.1993.1081
McLay Colin L. http://www.zool.canterbury.ac.nz/cm.htm
Forest, J & McLay, CL (2001) The biogeography and bathymetric distribution of New Zealand hermit crabs (Crustacea: Anomura: Paguridea). J. Roy. Soc. N. Z. 31: 40pp + 13 figs (in press).
Morris, Dr. Steve
Research Interests: evolution of air-breathing and the invasion of land; neurohormone and peptide
hormones in the regulation and metabolism and response to environment
http://www.bio.bris.ac.uk/people/morris.htm
Ghiradella H, Case J, Cronshaw J.
Fine structure of the aesthetasc hairs of Coenobita compressus Edwards.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=Display&DB=PubMed
MORRIS S. & C.R. BRIDGES (1986) Oxygen binding by the haemocyanin of the terrestrial hermit crab Coenobita clypeatus - The effect of physiological parameters in vitro. Physiol. Zool. 59, 606-616.
Morris, S., Greenaway, P., Adamczewska, A.M. & Ahern, M.D. (2000). Adaptations to a terrestrial existence in the Robber Crab Birgus latro L. IX. Hormonal control of post-renal urine reprocessing and salt balance in the branchial chamber. J. exp. Biol., 203, 389-396.
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Page, H. M. & S.W. Willason. 1983. Feeding activity patterns and carrion removal by terrestrial hermit crabs at Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands. Pac. Sci. 37: 151-155.
Pechenik JA, Lewis S.
Avoidance of drilled gastropod shells by the hermit crab
Pagurus longicarpus at Nahant, Massachusetts.
Most hermit crabs depend on empty gastropod shells for shelter; competition for appropriate shells is often severe. This study determined whether shells that have been drilled by naticid gastropods are suitable for occupancy by the hermit crab Pagurus longicarpus. Differences in the characteristics of empty shells and those occupied by hermit crabs were assessed at two adjacent field sites in Nahant, Massachusetts. Drilling damage was far more frequent in empty gastropod shells than in shells occupied by hermit crabs, suggesting that individuals of P. longicarpus avoid drilled shells. They did not appear to avoid shells with other forms of damage. Laboratory experiments confirmed that these hermit crabs preferentially chose intact shells over drilled shells, even when the intact shells offered were most suitable for crabs half the weight of those tested. Final shell choices were generally made within 1 h. The hermit crabs apparently discriminated between intact and drilled shells based on tactile cues, since crabs kept in the dark showed the same preference for intact shells. The hermit crabs strongly avoided, to nearly the same extent, artificially drilled shells, naturally drilled shells, and shells with holes artificially drilled on the opposite side of the shell from where they would normally be located. Possible selective forces causing P. longicarpus to show such strong behavioral avoidance of drilled shells include increased vulnerability of crabs in drilled shells to osmotic stress, predation, and eviction by conspecifics.Biology Department, Tufts University, 02155, Medford, MA, USA
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11018234&dopt=Abstract
R
Ramsaya ,K b, M. J. Kaiserb, R. N. Hughes -
Field Study of Intraspecific Competition for Food in Hermit Crabs
A tethered, frame-mounted video camera deployed on the sea-bed was used to observe the competitive interactions that occurred between hermit crabs, Pagurus bernhardus,that were attracted to food patches (dead dragonets, Callionymus lyra) of differing size. Hermit crab numbers on the small food patch ceased increasing c. 20min after the camera arrived on the sea-bed, whilst numbers on the large patch increased throughout the experiment. The number of observed aggressive interactions increased with increasing hermit crab density, but was generally highest on the small patch. The probability of a hermit crab being able to feed increased with size for each of three size-groups on the small patch, whereas on the large patch, both large and medium-sized hermit crabs were equally likely to feed. Small and medium-sized hermit crabs had a higher probability of being able to feed on the large patch than the small patch. As the density of hermit crabs around a patch increased, the proportion of small individuals actively feeding decreased. The size-frequency distribution of hermit crabs on the large patch was significantly different from that on the small patch, with the latter being skewed towards larger individuals. These results suggest that the intensity of competition increases both with increasing numbers of hermit crabs and decreasing size of food resource. Large hermit crabs were more successful at feeding than smaller crabs when competition was more intense.
http://www.idealibrary.com/links/doi/10.1006/ecss.1996.0213
Rittschof, D., J. P. Sutherland, 1986. Field studies on chemically mediated behavior in a land hermit crab: volatile and nonvolatile odors. J. Chem. Ecol. 12(6): 1273-1284.
Rodrogues, L.J.; DunhamDavid W. ; CoatesKathryn A.
Shelter Preferences in the Endemic Bermudian Hermit Crab, calcinus Verrilli (Rathbun, 1901) (Decapoda, Anomura)
Author(s): Lisa J. Rodrigues; David W. Dunham; Kathryn A. Coates
Source: Crustaceana (Brill Academic Publishers)
Year: 2000 Volume: 73 Number: 6 Pages: 737-750
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Small, M. P. & R.W. Thacker. 1994. Land hermit crabs use odors of the dead conspecifics to locate shells. J. of Experimental Mar. Biol. Ecol. 182: 169-182.
Smolowitz R. M. ,Bullis R. A. , Abt, D. A. , Leibovitz, L.
Pathologic Observations on the Infection of Pagurus spp.
by Plerocercoids of Calliobothrium verticillatum
Infection of the anterior midgut ceca (AMC) of hermit crabs by plerocercoids of the tetraphyllidean cestode, Calliobothrium verticillatum, is described. Plerocercoids are found only in the lumens of the AMC tubules. The categories of infection (mild, moderate, and severe) were defined based on the severity of the inflammatory reaction present in the AMC. Features of this parasite are more fully described elsewhere. The adult tapeworm is found in the spiral colon of the dogfish, Mustelus canis. Implications for the health of the hermit crab are discussed. Copyright 1993, 1999 Academic Press.Journal of Invertebrate Pathology Vol. 62, No. 2, September 1993
http://www.idealibrary.com/links/doi/10.1006/jipa.1993.1094
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Thacker, Robert W.
Research in my laboratory focuses on the ecology and evolution of marine and freshwater organisms. Recent projects have emphasized chemical ecology, foraging behavior, plant-herbivore interactions, and the community ecology of Indo-Pacific coral reefs. My laboratory uses molecular systematics to place these studies into a comparative phylogenetic context. Current projects include: Community ecology of cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria dominate many coral reefs and freshwater lakes. Experiments in the field and in laboratory aquaria examine the effects of top-down (herbivory) and bottom-up (eutrophication) factors on cyanobacterial abundance and community structure. In addition, many cyanobacteria produce chemicals that may prevent herbivory or may inhibit the growth of competitors. Molecular techniques are used to examine the evolution of these natural products; Geographic variation in the chemical defenses of sponges. Sponges contain a variety of secondary metabolites that play roles in defense and in the acquisition of space on coral reefs. Studying geographic variation in both defensive chemical production and the effectiveness of defense provides insights on the evolution of these natural products.
http://www.uab.edu/uabbio/thack-cv.htm
Thacker Robert W. Abstract of article
Avoidance of recently eaten foods by land hermit crabs, Coenobita compressus. Land hermit crabs, Coenobita compressus, prefer the odours of foods that they have not recently eaten. I used a laboratory choice assay to quantify observations of these induced food odour preferences and to examine the mechanisms that may underlie the formation of these preferences. A potential benefit of this behaviour to land hermit crabs was examined by measuring the relative growth rates of crabs fed single-item diets and a mixed diet. Sex and age differences among crabs did not affect their formation of odour preferences. Land hermit crabs that were exposed to one food for at least 9h preferred foods having other odours for the next 6h. Crabs avoided odours associated with food consumption. In choice assays using artificial diets, crabs consumed more glucose than casein, yet both nutrients generated an equal amount of avoidance. Land hermit crabs that received a multiple-item diet of flowers, snails and seeds had higher relative growth rates than crabs fed single-item diets. Nutritional analyses showed that these foods differed in their nutritional composition, with flowers containing the most carbohydrates, snails containing the most proteins and seeds containing the most lipids. Broader diets resulting from short-term avoidance of food odours may benefit land hermit crabs by increasing relative growth rates, possibly through the consumption of a more nutritionally balanced diet. Copyright 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Vol. 55, No. 2, February 1998
http://www.idealibrary.com/servlet/artid/anbe.1997.0621
Tudge, C
3. Ultrastructure of the Spermatophore Lateral Ridge in Hermit Crabs (Decapoda, Anomura, Paguroidea)
Author(s): C. C. Tudge
Source: Crustaceana (Brill Academic Publishers)
Year: 1999 Volume: 72 Number: 1 Pages: 77-84 View
Turra A, Leite FP. Clustering behavior of hermit crabs (Decapoda, Anomura) in an intertidal rocky shore at Sao Sebastiao
The clustering behavior and cluster composition of hermit crabs as well as the patterns of shell utilization of clustered and scattered individuals were studied. This study was conducted in the intertidal region of Grande Beach, Sao Sebastiao, southeastern Brazil. Samples were taken both in randomized transects and 1 m2 quadrats during low tide periods. Crabs were counted, measured (shield length), and sexed. Shells were identified and had their adequacy and condition (physical damage and incrustation) recorded. Clusters occurred mainly in air exposed areas and were dominated or composed only by Clibanarius antillensis. Other species like Paguristes tortugae, Pagurus criniticornis, and Calcinus tibicen were also present in these clusters, but in small numbers. Only one monospecific aggregation composed by individuals of P. criniticornis was recorded in tide pools. Almost all crabs were inactive, despite some that were submerged in tide pools. Most of the individuals of C. antillensis were clustered (70.88%). Scattered individuals were larger than clustered ones and occupied mainly shells of Tegula viridula, which seemed to be the most adequate shell to the crabs. Clustered individuals used less incrusted shells than isolated ones. In general, clustering in Grande Beach presented the same patterns of size and sex distribution, and shell utilization than others already studied, with the exception of the smaller cluster size registered in this area.Departamento de Zoologia, IB, Unicamp, Campinas, SP, Brazil. turra@unicamp.brRev Bras Biol 2000 Feb;60(1):39-44
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10838922&dopt=Abstract
Turra, A., Pedini, F. Leite, Pereira.
FECUNDITY OF THREE SYMPATRIC POPULATIONS OF HERMIT CRABS (DECAPODA, ANOMURA, DIOGENIDAE) 1019
Publisher: Brill Academic Publishers
Abstract: The fecundity of three coexisting hermit crab populations (of Clibanarius antillensis, C.sclopetarius, and C. vittatus) was studied in the intertidal region of Pernambuco Islet, São Sebastião Channel, southeastern Brazil. Fecundity of all species was positively correlated to the size of the individuals. Differences in egg number among species of hermit crabs were more dependent on crab shield length than on crab species, and showed the following decreasing sequence: C. sclopetarius > C. vittatus > C. antillensis. Clutch dry weight and maximum egg diameter were dependent on crab size and species, testifying particular reproductive strategies for each species. Egg size increased during embryonic development. The influence of shell utilization on hermit crab fecundity is also discussed.
Alexander Turra; Fosca Pedini Pereira Leite
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Vannini, M. 1975. Researches on the coast of Somalia: The shore and dune of Sar Uanle 4. orientation and anemotaxis in the land hermit crab, Coenobita rugosus Milne Edwards. Ital. J. Zool. 6: 57-90.
Vannini, M. & G. Chelazzi. 1981. Orientation of Coenobita rugosus (Crustacea: Anomura): a field study on Aldabra. Mar. Biol. 64: 135-140.
Vannini, M. & J. Ferretti. 1997. Chemoreception in two species of terrestrial hermit crabs (Decapoda: Coenobitidae). J. Crust. Biol. 17: 33-37.
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Wada, S. http://www.kochi-u.ac.jp/JA/kaiyo/wada/contributionEN.html
Wada, S. Shell-size preference of hermit crabs depends on their growth rate
Research in my laboratory focuses on the ecology and evolution of marine and freshwater organisms. The hypothesis that hermit crabs modify their shell-size preference according to their prospective growth rate was examined in the hermit crab Pagurus middendorffii A simple model predicts that individuals should select larger shells when (1) shell availability is limited, (2) they approach moulting and (3) they will have a large increase in size at the next moult. In experiments, selected shell size decreased with the duration of the moult, and increased with increasing growth, supporting predictions 2 and 3. Correspondence: S. Wada, Department of Marine Biological Science, Faculty of Fisheries, Hokkaido University, Minato-cho, Hakodate 041, Japan (email: swada@pop.fish.hokudai.ac.jp). Department of Marine Biological Science, Faculty of Fisheries, Hokkaido University Animal Behaviour Vol. 54, No. 1, July 1997
http://www.idealibrary.com/links/doi/10.1006/anbe.1996.0319
Wada, S., S. Goshima, and S. Nakao, 1995. Reproductive biology of the hermit crab Pagurus middendorffii Brandt (Decapoda: Anomura: Paguridae). Crustacean Research 24: 23-32.
Ohmori, H., S. Wada, S. Goshima, and S. Nakao, 1995. Effects of body size and shell availability on the shell utilization pattern of the hermit crab Pagurus filholi (Anomura: Paguridae). Crustacean Research 24: 85-92.
Goshima, S., S. Wada, and H. Ohmori, 1996. Reproductive biology of the hermit crab Pagurus nigrofascia (Anomura: Paguridae). Crustacean Research 25: 86-92.
Wada, S., T. Sonoda, and S. Goshima, 1996. Temporal size covariation of mating pairs of the hermit crab Pagurus middendorffii (Decapoda: Anomura: Paguridae) during a single breeding season. Crustacean Research 25: 158-164.
Wada, S., H. Ohmori, S. Goshima, and S. Nakao, 1997. Shell-size preference of hermit crabs depends on their growth rate. Animal Behaviour 54: 1-8.
Wada, S., M. Ashidate, and S. Goshima, 1997. Observations on the reproductive behavior of the spiny king crab Paralithodes brevipes (Anomura: Lithodidae). Crustacean Research 26: 56-61.
Goshima, S., T. Kawashima, and S. Wada, 1998. Mate choice by males of the hermit crab Pagurus filholi: Do males assess ripeness and/or fecundity of females? Ecological Research 13: 151-162.
Wada, S., K. Ishizaki, H. Kitaoka, and S. Goshima 1999. Shell utilization of the hermit crab Pagurus lanuginosus: sexual differences and specific comparisons. Benthos Research 54: 9-16.
Wada, S., K. Tanaka, and S. Goshima, 1999. Precopulatory mate guarding in the hermit crab, Pagurus middendorffii (Decapoda: Paguridae): effects of population parameters on male guarding duration. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 239: 289-298.
Wada, S., 1999. Environmental factors affecting sexual size dimorphism in the hermit crab Pagurus middendorffii. Journal of Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 79: 953-954.
Wada, S., H. Kitaoka and S. Goshima, 2000. Reproductive traits of the hermit crab Pagurus lanuginosus and comparison of reproductive traits among sympatric hermit crabs. Journal of Crustacean Biology 20: 474-478.
Wada, S., 2000. Seasonal growth pattern and the effect of gastropod shells on sexual growth rates in the hermit crab Pagurus middendorffii. Bulletin of Faculty of Fisheries, Hokkaido University 51: 1-11.
Wada, S., 2000. Life history evolution in hermit crabs: A review. Bulletin of Marine Sciences and Fisheries, Kochi University 20: 1-14 (in Japanese with English abstract)
Wada, S. Reproductive characters and population structure of the hermit crab Pagurus ochotensis. Benthos Research 52 (accepted).
<Ph D>
March 1998. Sexual size dimorphism in the hermit crab Pagurus middendorffii.Wada, S., K. Yoshino, A. Mima and S. Goshima. Effect of female shell on male mating tactics in the hermit crab Pagurus filholi.
Under Preparation
Mima, A., H. Ohmori, S. Goshima and S. Wada. Effect of past experience of predatory threat on shell preference of the hermit crab Pagurus filholi.
Wada, S. Reproductive phenology in Pagurus hermit crabs.
Mima, A., S. Wada and S. Goshima. Anti-predatory strategy of the hermit crab Pagurus filholi.
Ohba, T., S. Goshima and S. Wada. Coexistence system of two sympatric hermit crabs.
Wada, S. and A. Mima. Relationships between shell utilization pattern and reproductive traits in five sympatric hermit crabs.
Wada, S. Latitudal variation in the reproductive strategy of hermit crabs.
Wada, S. Energetic trade-off between growth and reproduction in three hermit crabs.
Wolcott, T. G. 1988. Ecology. In W. W. Burggren & B. R. McMahon (eds.). Biology of the Land Crabs, Cambridge University, New York. p. 55-96.
Walker, Sally
Sally E. Walker's (paleoecology; taphonomy; invertebrate paleontology) research follows four lines of inquiry which focus on paleoecology and its contribution to environmental change through time. First, she works with the biological factors (i.e., herm it crabs, birds, fish, algae and fungi) in the marine environment that break-down and recycle calcium carbonate (mollusk shells) in modern seas as well as in ancient environments. This work also has another side to it, and that is how taphonomic factors affect our interpretation of evolution--especially of the symbiotic or mutualistic organisms that use and abuse mollusc shells. Second, she is part of a research team (including mathematical modelers, chemists, and oceanographers) that is conducting deep sea research using submersibles in the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas to understand how fast deepsea environments recycle calcium carbonate and other organics. This research has repercussions for how carbon is recycled in the biosphere, and has not been done for the vast area of the ocean, which is the deepsea. Third, she works on terrestrial snail paleoecology. Fourth, with her graduate student, Lisa Gardiner, they are working on the evolutionary ecology of molluscs within Caribbean fossil reefs. Fifth, she works on pore water geochemistry and its effects on molluscan shell preservation in a coastal setting in association with Susan Goldstein and Philippe Van Cappellen. Field research sites are Sapelo Island (Georgia), Ecuador (including the Galapagos Islands), Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of California, the Bahamas--especially San Salvador Island and Lee Stocking Island, Bahamas. Funding sources: NSF, NSF-SGER, NOAA/NURP.
http://www.gly.uga.edu/swalker/walker.html
Whitman
Whitman, K.L.; McDermott, J.J.; Oehrlein, M.S. (2001). Laboratory studies on suspension feeding in the hermit crab Pagurus longicarpus (Decapoda: Anomura: Paguridae). J. Crust. Biol. 21(3): 582-592.
Research Topic: Invert Pheremones
http://www.life.uiuc.edu/bio324/invert_phermones.html
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Mima, A., H. Ohmori, S. Goshima and S. Wada. Effect of past experience of predatory threat on shell preference of the hermit crab Pagurus filholi.
Mima, A., S. Wada and S. Goshima. Anti-predatory strategy of the hermit crab Pagurus filholi.
Ohba, T., S. Goshima and S. Wada. Coexistence system of two sympatric hermit crabs.
Wada, S., K. Yoshino, A. Mima and S. Goshima. Effect of female shell on male mating tactics in the hermit crab Pagurus filholi.
Wada, S. Reproductive phenology in Pagurus hermit crabs.
Wada, S. and A. Mima. Relationships between shell utilization pattern and reproductive traits in five sympatric hermit crabs.
Wada, S. Latitudal variation in the reproductive strategy of hermit crabs.
Wada, S. Energetic trade-off between growth and reproduction in three hermit crabs.
